by Greg Bear
First published 2014
Detective Mary Choy stares at eight corpses in a Los Angeles apartment. The year is 2047, and psychological advances have nearly eliminated crime. Murder feels impossible in this world. Yet the evidence points to Emmanuel Goldsmith, a celebrated poet, as the killer. Choy has been enhanced with nanotechnology that sharpens both her appearance and her police abilities. She must track down Goldsmith while psychotherapy pioneer Martin Burke prepares to probe the poet's mind. The case baffles everyone who knew Goldsmith, including his close friend and fellow writer who cannot reconcile the gentle artist with this brutal act. As the investigation unfolds, artificial intelligence and human consciousness collide in unexpected ways. Far from Earth, a space probe discovers something that will change everything. Choy finds herself at the center of questions about what makes someone human and whether technology can truly understand the mind that commits murder.
Genres: science-fiction, mystery, crime, detective, 21st-century, artificial-intelligence
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: detective-story, near-future
Setting: Earth, Los Angeles
Period: 2047
384 pages · ebook · Open Road Media Science & Fantasy